Label-pressing device for labeling machines



July 27, 1965 s. 'r. CARTER LABEL-PRESSING DEVICE FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR 3 L A Q ATTYS.

July 27, 1965 s. T. CARTER 3,197,354

LABEL-PRESSING DEVICE FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVEN TOR.

JzdEz eg/Z Kali?! BY 4' V @4- 54 ATT'YS United States Patent 3,197,354 LABEL-PRESSENG DEVICE FOR LABELENG MACHlNES Sidney T. Carter, Shrewshnry, Mass, assignor to Geo. J.

Meyer Manufacturing Co., Cudahy, Win, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 26, 1%2, Ser- No. 233,241 8 Claims. (Cl. 156-476) This invention pertains to labeling machines of the kind wherein conveyor means moves articles uninterruptedly along a substantially rectilinear path through the field of operation of label-applying means which applies labels to the articles without interrupting their forward advance, and more especially to a device which applies pressure to a label, for example a suction pad which takes a gumrned label from a picker and contacts it with the article to be labeled, or a pressure-type wiper pad designed merely to press a label, already adhering to the article, into firm contact with the article. In particular, the invention concerns apparatus of the type wherein the suction pad and/ or the pressure pad, is mounted upon a lever which rocks about an axis parallel to the article path so as to move the pad 'back-and-forth between pressure-applying position and a position remote from the article, for example a label-transfer station. Usually, the pad-carrying lever rocks about an axis not far removed from the horizontal plane of the conveyor which supports the article so that the lever must be of a length to extend upwardly from this axis to the pad. If the label to be applied is a body label for a bottle, so that the locus of the force supplied in afiixing it to the article is not far removed from the axis about which the pad-carrying lever rocks, it is relatively easy to apply suificient pressure, merely by rocking the lever, to insure the firm application of the label to the bottle. However, for applying a neck label, particularly when the bottle is tall, so that it is necessary to use a long pad-carrying lever, the pad which applies pressure to the label is thus removed a substantial distance from the axis about which the pad-carrying lever rocks, and, under those circumstances (in particular, when the same pad-carrying lever must also carry a pad for applying pressure to a body label and perhaps also to a shoulder label), it has been found difficult so to design such a long pad-carrying lever (without unduly increasing the weight of the parts to be rocked) as to prevent it from resiliently yielding when applying the force to the label, so that firm attachment of the label cannot always be assured.

Since, as above noted, the present invention pertains, in particular, to a labeling machine of that type wherein the label is applied to the article while the latter is in motion along the conveyor path, it is obvious that any means for supporting or applying auxiliary force to the free end of the pad-carrying lever, at the instant at which it is applying maximum pressure, must be such as to permit the lever to remain in contact with the article as the latter continues its advance along the conveyor path. The present invention has for an object the provision of means operative to function as a buttress for the free end of the pad-carrying lever and/ or to apply auxiliary force thereto at the instant at which the pad should apply maximum pressure, but which will not in any way interfere with the normal operation of an otherwise conventional labeling machine.

. It should further be remembered that it is not uncommon, in high-speed labeling machines, to apply labels simultaneously to two or more articles as they move along the conveyor path. A further object of the present invention is to provide means of a type such as simultaneously to function as buttresses for a plurality of pad-carrying levers, all of which are designed to apply pressure to corresponding articles at the same instant.

While the present invention is of particular value with respect to the application of labels to the necks of tall bottles, it is useful when embodied in a pad carrier designed to apply a label to the shoulder portion of a bottle since, because of the double curvature of the surface of the shoulder of the bottle, it is especially difficult to apply the requisite pressure to aflix a label to this part of the bottle.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in vertical section, transversely of the conveyor path of a labeling machine of the straight-away type, showing pad-carrying levers located at opposite sides of the conveyor path respectively, and in position to press labels against a bottle, the latter being indicated in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is an elevation,- to larger scale, viewed from the same point as FIG. 1, showing a supporting bracket for the lever-buttressing means shown at the right-hand side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the bracket shown in FIG. 2, viewed from the right-hand side of the latter figure;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the bracket for supporting the lever-buttressing means shown at the left-hand side of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an elevation showing the bracket of FIG. 4, viewed from the right-hand side of the latter.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the numerals 16 and 1600 respectively, designate pad-supporting levers corresponding generally in function to the similarly numbered levers shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 respectively, of the patent to Carter, 2,652,941, dated September 22, 1953, the lever arm 16 carrying a support 41 for a pad P operative to apply pressure to a body label and also a support 42 for a pad P operative to apply pressure to a shoulder label; while the lever arm 1600 carries supports 90, 101 and 102 respectively, for pads P P and P for applying pressure to a body label, a shoulder label and a neck label respectively. These lever arms 16 and 1600 are supported to rock toward and from each other about the axes of two parallel shafts 12, indicated in broken lines, corresponding to the similarly numbered shafts of the patent just referred to, and these shafts are rocked -back-and-forth and moved axially in properly timed relation by appropriate mechanism (not here shown, but the equivalent of that which is shown in Patent No. 2,652,941). The character C designates a conveyor of conventional type such as is used in labeling machines and which is driven uninterruptedly by means, for example, such as disclosed in the patent to Carter, 2,940,630, dated June 14, 1960.

i As herein illustrated, the several pressure-applying pads P 4 are wiper pads, designed merely to apply pressure so as firmly and smoothly to adhere a label, which has previously been applied to the bottle, for example, by

means of a suction grip finger. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is applicable to a lever which carries either such a pressure-type wiper or to a lever which carries a suction grip-finger as, for example, shown in the patent to Carter, No. 2,946,472, dated July 26, 1960.

As above noted, when the only labels to be applied are body labels, so that the pressure-applying pad is not far removed from the plane of the axes of the shafts 12, no particular difliculty is experienced in providing a lever arm stifi enough to apply the desired pressure without tendency of the arm to bend or spring away from the bottle, but when the label to be applied .is at a substantial distance from the axis about which the respective lever arm rocks as, for instance, when, as shown in FIG. 1, the pad P carried by the support 102, is at a very substantial distance from the axis of the shaft 12, as for applying a neck label to a tall bottle, it has been found somewhat difiicult to insure the proper application of pressure to the label merely by rocking the shaft 12. While, as above suggested, the present invention is especially useful in applying labels to surfaces spaced distantly from the rock shafts 12, its utility is not so limited. As here illustrated, (FIG 1), each pad-carrying arm 16 and 1600 respectively, has at its free end an abutment element A and A respectively, here shown as a substantially spherical knob engageable, at times, with a corresponding buttress roll R or R The rolls R and R are carried by brackets 50 and 51 respectively (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), (here shown as provided with vertically elongate slots 52 and 53), which receive bolts by means of which the brackets are secured to the frame of the labeling machine, the provision of the elongate slots making it possible to adjust the brackets to accommodate the device to bottles of various heights.

Since the rolls R and R are mounted upon their respective brackets in the same manner, it suffices to describe the support for the roll R2 only. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, the roll R is shown as mounted upon a vertical shaft 54 secured in a rocker 55 which is arranged to rock on a stationary shaft 56, which is fixed to a part 57 attached by bolts 58 to the lower flange of the bracket 51. A coiled torsion spring 59 surrounds the shaft 56.

One end of the spring 59 is hooked over a pin 60 fixed in rocker 55 at a distance from the axis of shaft 56, while its opposite end is fixed to the part 57. The spring is so initially tensioned as to tend to swing the rocker 55 to a position such (as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3) that the roll R is contacted by the advancing knob A at the upper end of the lever 1600, as the latter moves along the conveyor path, to place the pad P in contact with the label. Contact of rocker 55 with part 57 so limits such swing of the rocker 55 that, as the knob approaches the roll, the knob A swings the rocker 55, in opposition to the spring, until, when the pad P in in the position shown in FIG. 1 where it should apply maximum pressure to the label, the spring 5 has been additionally stressed. Thus, the roll R acts not only as a buttress at this instant to prevent bending of lever 1600, but it provides additional resilient force to press the pad against the label. As the lever arm 1691 continues to move along the conveyor path, with the pad P contacting the label, the knob A disengages the roll R the latter then snapping back to its normal position, but the strong pressure resultant from the action of the roll, although momentary, is sufiicient to insure adhesion of the label, it being remembered that the shaft 12 itself is rocked with a force which should be suificient to provide the requisite pressure, disregarding bending, of the long lever arm and backlash between the relatively movable parts of the apparatus,

It may be understood that while, as shown in FIG. 1, the buttress roles R and R function in cooperation with lever arms which. support pressure-type wiper devices, it may, in accordance with the present invention, be arranged to cooperate with the pad-carrying arms of socalled grip-finger assemblies in which the pad or pads are of the suction type designed to take a label from a picker at a transfer point and to place it in adhering contact with the bottle.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been disclosed by way of example, it is 'to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a labeling machine of the kind which comprises 'rneans whereby an article to be labeled is advanced uninterruptedly along a predetermined path while a label is pressed into adhering contact with the article by a presser element which moves along said path concomitantly with the article, in combustion, force-applying means, which does not advance along the conveyor path with the presserelement, located at approximately the same distance above the conveyor path as is the area of the article to which the label is to be applied, said forceapplying means being operative resiliently to urge the presser element toward the article as the advancing article passes said force-applying means.

In a labeling machine of the kind which comprises means whereby an article to be labeled moves uninterruptedly along a predetermined path while a label is pressed into adhering contact with the article by a presser pad which moves bodily along said path concomitantly with the article while holding a label in contact with the article, in combiantion, force-applying means located at approximately the same distance above the conveyor path as is said pad while the latter is positioned to hold the label in contact with the article, said force-applying means comprising a movable buttress element, and spring means operative to cause said buttress element resiliently to urge the presser pad toward the article as the advancing article passes the force-applying means.

3. In a labeling machine of the kind wherein constantly moving conveyor means uninterruptedly moves articles to be labeled along a substantially rectilinear path through a label-applying zone and wherein, for pressing a label into adhering contact with a moving article, there is a pad carrier comprising an elongate lever arm pivoted to rock about an axis parallel to the conveyor path, said lever arm also being movable bodily along the conveyor path, a presser pad connected to the free end portion of the lever arm, means for rocking the lever arm to dispose the pad in position to press a label against the article, and means for moving the pad carrier, concomitantly with the moving article, longitudinally of the path, in combination, means operative, as the carrier moves along with the pad in operative position, to apply force to the free end portion of the lever, such as resiliently to urge it toward the article thereby to insure firm adherence of the label.

4. In a labeling machine of the kind wherein constantly moving conveyor means uninterruptedly moves articles to be labeled along a substantially rectilinear path through a label-applying zone and wherein, for pressing a label into adhering contact with a moving article, there is a pad carrier comprising an elongate lever arm pivoted to rock about an axis parallel to the conveyor path, said lever arm also being movable bodily along the conveyor path, a presser pad connected to the free end portion of the lever arm, means for rocking the lever arm to dispose the pad in position to press a label against the article, and means for moving the pad carrier, concomitantly with the moving article, longitudinally of the path, in combination, means operative, as the carrier moves along with the pad in operative position, to apply force to the free end portion of the lever, such as resiliently to urge it toward the article thereby to insure firm adherence of the label, the means for applying force to the free end portion of the pad-supporting lever arm comprising a buttress element movable in a direction perpendicular to the vertical plane of the center line of the article path, and spring means normally holding said buttress element in a position such that, as the advancing padsupporting lever arm passes the buttress element, the spring is thereby compressed so as to urge the pad toward the article.

5. A labeling machine according to claim 4, wherein the means for applying force to the free end portion of the pad-supporting lever arm, as the latter moves 'concomitantly with the article along the conveyor path,

comprises a knob projecting from the free end of the lever arm, a rocker mounted to rock about a fixed axis perpen dicular to the vertical planeoi the center line of the conveyor path, a rotatable roll pivotally supported by the rocaer to turn about a normally vertical axis, and a spring which tends to hold the rocker in a position such that the roll will be contacted by the knob at the end of the lever arm as the advancing pad carrier passes the force-applying means whereby the knob, in pushing the roll aside from its path, in opposition to the spring, is subjected to force urging the pad toward the article.

6. In a labeling machine of the kind which comprises conveyor means whereby an article to be labeled is moved uniterruptedly along a predetermined path while a label is pressed into adhering contact with the article by a presser pad, and wherein the presser pad constitutes an element of a grip-finger assembly which moves along the conveyor path concomitantly with the article being labeled while the latter is passing through the labeling zone, said grip-finger assembly comprising an elongate pad-carrying lever arranged to rock about an axis which is parallel to the conveyor path and which is located at a level below that of the conveyor means, the presser pad being connected to the free end of said lever arm and being of such length that the pad may apply pressure to a label contacting the neck portion of a tall bottle, means for rocking the lever thereby to bring the pad into label-pressing position and, in combination therewith, means operative, as the grip-finger advances, with the pad holding a label against the bottle, to apply resilient force directly to a part fixed relatively to the lever, at a point near the free end of the latter, thereby to increase the pressure of the pad against the label.

7. A labeling machine according to claim 6, further characterized in that the means for applying resilient force to the free end portion of the pad-carrying lever comprises a spring-pressed part which is forced aside by the lever as the grip-finger assembly advances along the conveyor path and thereby urges the lever toward the bottle. 7

8. A labeling machine according to claim 7, wherein the spring-pressed part which is forced aside by the advancing lever comprises a freely rotatable roller mounted upon a pivoted support, and a spring which tends to hold said support in normal position, the pad-carrying lever having a contact element which, by engagement with said roll, pushes the roll aside in opposition to the spring which tends to hold the roll support in normal position and, in so doing, is urged toward the bottle by the spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,665,025 1/54 Carter 156476 2,980,278 4/61 Carter 156-486 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A LABELING MACHINE OF THE KIND WHICH COMPRISES MEANS WHEREBY AN ARTICLE TO BE LABELED IS ADVANCED UNINTERRUPTEDLY ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WHILE A LABEL IS PRESSED INTO ADHERING CONTACT WITH THE ARTICLE BY A PRESSER ELEMENT WHICH MOVES ALONG SAID PATH CONCOMITANTLY WITH THE ARTICLE, IN COMBUSTION, FORCE-APPLYING MEANS, WHICH DOES NOT ADVANCE ALONG THE CONVEYOR PATH WITH THE PRESSER ELEMENT, LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DISTANCE ABOVE THE CONVEYOR PATH AS IS THE AREA OF THE ARTICLE TO WHICH THE LABEL IS TO BE APPLIED, SAID FORCEAPPLYING MEANS BEING OPERATIVE RESILIENTLY TO URGE THE PRESSER ELEMENT TOWARD THE ARTICLE AS THE ADVANCING ARTICLE PASSES SAID FORCE-APPLYING MEANS. 